A Tuscan garden blooms in Grasmere

Tucked into a hillside in Grasmere, behind a row of modern brick homes, a lush Italian garden lies hidden from view. Judging from the facades of the homes in this well-kept neighborhood, one never would suspect that just a few steps into the back yard of Pasquale and Antonietta Deserio’s home he’d be transported into a Mediterranean paradise.

Staten Island Advance/Irving SilversteinGeraniums, petunias and impatiens brighten a corner of the Mediterranean-style garden.A quick glance at this replica of a Tuscan landscape leaves no doubt of the Deserios’ Italian heritage. Born in Italy, the couple came to the United States in their 20s and were married here. The home they share sits on property measuring 115 feet by 52 feet.

Pasquale, a teacher of Latin and Italian at Christ the King High School in Queens, has worked diligently at creating his garden for the past six years. During a recent visit, I was puzzled by the abundance of large tropical plantings of oleander, gardenias and calla lilies distributed throughout the garden — none of these plants is hardy in our area. I wondered how he managed to winter-over plants that could not survive our cold weather.

WINTER QUARTERS

Pasquale explained that the row of six-feet-high white, red and pink oleander planted in huge containers to create a border-like fence between neighbors to their right, is transported into winter quarters in the garage each October. The garage, which is located under the Deserios’ house, has two windows, allowing the plants to receive enough light and protection from freezing temperatures to survive until they are brought outside again in April.

Staten Island Advance Photos/Irving SilversteinA focal point of the garden is a large, square wooden deck with a pedestal-type fountain surrounded by pots of petuniasSeven years ago, Pasquale took cuttings from oleander plants growing at the couple’s Florida vacation home which provided the plant material for these containers. He admits that the plants now are so large they’re difficult to move, but says he’s growing additional cuttings for future plants.

A focal point of the garden is a large, square wooden deck with a pedestal-type fountain surrounded by pots of petunias. Pink azaleas, silver blue junipers and dwarf Albert spruce surround the deck, providing year-round structure to the area.

Beyond the fountain area, as the terrain rises, Pasquale created a rock wall to define the space and contain the soil. In the center, a metal arch with a large pedestal supporting a statue of a cherub is outlined with lights to add interest at night. Solar lights are trained on rocks and container plantings of annuals including geraniums, red and violet impatiens, red salvia, spikey dracaenas and tuberous begonias.

A metal arch with a large pedestal supporting a statue of a cherub is outlined with lights to add interest at night.Perennials like yellow coreopsis, iris, hydrangea, lilies, roses, rudbeckia and hosta, provide additional color to the summer garden and a large trumpet vine with an abundance of orange blossoms softens the view of a neighboring structure. The garden is enriched with compost from the compost give-back program, a program Deserio said he hopes will continue to be funded, allowing gardeners to obtain the wonderful recylced soil that is so important to good gardening.

An Italian garden wouldn’t be complete without a fig tree and the Deserios have located theirs along a fence in the left rear corner of the property. Rose of Sharon shrubs and evergreens add greenery, while arborvitae discarded by a neighbor have been repurposed in the Deserios’ garden, offering additional privacy in an area where there is no fencing.

Parsley, basil and arugala are conveniently planted for ease of picking not far from the kitchen in a small area off the couple’s lovely patio. Pots of calla lilies with large seed pods decorate the patio area. The tender bulbs soon will be dug up to join the pots of oleander in the garage and tender plants like geraniums and gardenias will be transported to Pasquale’s school, to spend the winter months and add color and beauty to his classroom. Like the rest of us gardeners, Pasquale Deserio is getting ready to put his outdoor garden to sleep for the winter and await the joyful coming of spring.

GARDEN NOTES

On Oct. 8, First District Federated Garden Clubs of New York State will host its semi-annual meeting and luncheon at the Staaten, West Brighton. Moravian Florist designers will present a floral design program, “Autumn Abundance.” Tickets are $45 and reservations may be made by contacting Virginia Bodrate at 718-351-9205. Lee Gugliada is past director of First District Federated Garden Clubs of New York State and past president of the Great Kills Garden Club.